(2002)
Directed by Neil Marshall
Starring Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Liam Cunningham, Emma Cleasby, Thomas Lockyer, Darren Morfitt,
Chris Robson, Leslie Simpson

Back when this first came out, I ignored it. The reason was that it debuted on the Sci-Fi channel, and fans quickly learned that whatever made their debut on there was going to stink. For example, Cherry Falls (2000), Wishmaster 2 (1999), or Vampires: Los Muertos (2002). Now, not to knock anybody who likes those films, I would say they are not that well made. So when I heard of this new werewolf movie that was going to debut there, I paid no attention to it. A couple of months later, when it hit DVD, I started hearing from friends on how it is actually pretty damn good. So I gave it a whirl and was just blown away. Sure, it could be because my expectations were so low, or it could have been because it was just a well made horror flick, with an amazing cast, and some of the best practical werewolf creatures I’ve seen since The Howling (1982).

The story is about a group of Army grunts on a combat training mission when it all goes to hell. They come across what is left of a Special Forces unit that has been wiped out by something pretty damn mean, leaving no bodies other than a few organs scattered about and lots of blood. The trainees make their way to an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, trying to hold up until morning. But the howls they are hearing outside makes them wonder if they’ll make it.

Taking a strong nod from Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968), the soldiers do what they can fighting off the opposing creatures, this time werewolves instead of zombies. Most of the action takes place in this one setting, but writer / director Marshall keeps the action moving, as well as giving us a variety of characters that we follow through the different assaults. Leading the young soldiers is the hardened Sergeant, played wonderfully by Sean Pertwee, who is always fun to watch onscreen. Of course, when Liam Cunningham shows up, the only survivor from the Special Forces unit, they realize they are battling more than just what is outside. Kevin McKidd is the young Private that wonders if he has what it takes to be a soldier and following orders, which sometimes gets him in trouble. Or, maybe it will save his life.

These are some of the best looking werewolves you’ll see on screen. No CGI here, but some incredible costumes that look very realistic and damn scary! These are the same type as in The Howling, walking upright on their back legs. Bob Keen, the ones for bringing Clive Barker’s Cenobites to life, was in charge of creating these hairy monsters and has really created some very effective monsters.

For his feature film directorial debut, Marshall has more than proven he’s got what it takes to make a riveting, action-filled, monster flick, with plenty of the red stuff to keep gore-hounds happy. But it is all inside a well-written story and told in a way to make you care about the soldiers and what happens to them.